Best Pets as Christmas Presents for Children

Puppies and kittens are the most popular pets for parents to get their children. Who doesn’t love the sweet affection of an adorable puppy or the playfulness of a frisky kitten? If you use the positive reinforcement of a clicker to paper and obedience train when you first bring it home, you and your pet will have a head start on a long and happy relationship.

Some children are allergic to dogs and cats, so consider other pets that your child may not be allergic to. The following are some of the most popular pets for children…all of which can be clicker trained with clickers:

Rabbits. Loving, quiet, and easy to take care of, bunnies are a favorite pet for older, calm children any time of year. Use clicker training to help your bunny feel safe when being lifted and held. You can also clicker train it to do tricks like hopping over jumps and running through tunnels.

Birds. Parakeets, canaries, cockatiels, lovebirds and small parrots make wonderful pets for children and thrive with constant affection. For best results, look for hand-tamed babies from a reputable breeder.

Guinea pigs. These little furry friends are gentle and good-natured, in many ways a perfect pet for children of all ages. Guinea pigs are a little skittish around people at first and need to be clicker trained to trust you when being held and carried.

Rats. Believe it or not, rats are fastidiously clean, intelligent, and love to be handled. Your child can clicker train a rat to come when called, kiss, beg, and many other tricks.

Children at least six years of age can be taught to clicker train their pets. Clicker training teaches kids to not tug or yell at pets, which could cause the pet to react dangerously. If you’re planning to give your child a pet for Christmas, find a pet that’s right for your child’s age and personality, and help your child become more confident in handling pets.

Canicross – A Fun New Way to Exercise With Your Dog

Canicross is the popular European sport of cross-country (“cross”) running or walking with your dog (“canine” or “cani”) pulling you. The dog wears a special harness and you wear a waist belt attached to the harness with a bungee line or towline. Canicross is growing in popularity throughout the U.S. and Canada as a dryland sport to keep sledding dogs in shape during the off-season, but many people just want to enjoy working out with their dogs hands-free without a leash. By pulling on the line, your dog helps you run faster and farther without causing you to fall. With the positive reinforcement clicker training method, you can teach your dog the basic skills required for canicross.

Any medium to large breed of dog over one year of age weighing 30 pounds or more and without hip dysplasia can learn to canicross. Dogs can learn at any age, but the best time to start training is when they’re puppies learning basic obedience skills. This is where clicker training begins. To be successful in canicross, your dog must understand basic commands for starting, stopping, turning and continuing past distractions.

The following commands are used in canicross:

“Hike” – start running or run faster

“Gee” – turn right

“Haw” – turn left

“On By” – ignore the distraction

“Easy” – slow down

“Whoa” – stop

“Line Out” – run ahead and pull the tugline tight

With clicker training, you can teach all of these commands. After your dog has mastered the basic obedience commands such as sit, come, stay, and down, you can begin clicker training the skills needed for canicross. Train your dog to stay with you on a loose leash and to stay just ahead of you. Whenever the dog naturally runs ahead and pulls the tugline tight, then say the command "line out." Click and treat every time your dog lines out in front of you. With every skill, allow your dog plenty of time to learn to associate each new skill with a treat. Through clicker training, you will learn better dog communication and will become more attentive to your dog’s behavior, signs of tiredness or pain, weaknesses, and strengths. Take it one step at a time and create a good training foundation to keep the activity fun and safe.

Canicross is an excellent physical and mental workout for your dog, building his strength, endurance, and self-confidence. Clicker training and canicross build a strong bond of trust and respect between man and dog.

Learn more about Canicross at:

American Dryland Mushers Association

CaniX.UK

Ehow.com

Skijor

Clicker Training and the Reliable Recall

When my son was about 3 years old, I often took him to a park across the street from our house. It was a great park for kids and dogs – big trees bordering the park and lots of lush green grass to run and play in. As my son was scavenging the grass for hidden treasures one day, my eye caught sight of someone with their dog coming into the park at the other end. At that moment, I saw the dog, a medium-sized mixed breed, spot my son. The dog started running across the park at full speed toward him, and his focused look caused me to fear for my son. I didn’t want to create a fear of dogs in my son, so I watched for about 10 seconds as the dog picked up speed racing across the football field-sized park, his owner yelling for him to no avail. When the dog was within about 150 feet of us, I very calmly picked up my son and said, “Hey, Andrew. Look at the cute puppy”! The dog ran right up to us and jumped up on me. His speed would have knocked Andrew down hard. His owner called him again, and with my son firmly in my arms, the dog turned around and starting trotting back.

 

I remember thinking that if I ever have a dog, I’ll make sure he’s trained to stop immediately and come back to me when I call him. Not only to keep children safe, but to keep my dog safe from running out into traffic or some other unsafe area.

 

The next summer, we got Andrew a puppy. Remembering the incident at the park, I researched training methods and discovered clicker training and the reliable recall. I learned that the best time to start clicker training dogs is when they’re puppies. Just like little kids, puppies are curious, excited, and into everything. But puppies want to please you. So I used the clicker to train our puppy to sit, lie down, heel, and other behaviors.

 

After a few weeks of clicker training, we began spending about 10-15 minutes every day clicker training and practicing the reliable recall, “Come, Woody”! (Yes, he’s named after Toy Story’s fearless sheriff Woody, Andrew’s favorite Disney character.) The reliable recall is described by animal trainer Kathy Sdao as the ability to “call your dog once and she immediately begins running straight toward you as fast as she can, and then stops within touching distance. Sitting in front of you isn’t necessary, but it is important that your dog be close enough for you to hold her collar and attach a leash.”

 

As Woody became accustomed to the command, I used clicker training and the reliable recall regularly in different situations: with distractions, with noise, when he was playing with my son and when he was playing at the dog park with other dogs. There have been several situations when I needed to use the reliable recall, and almost every time he has come. I’ve since clicker trained him to play Frisbee and do a number of tricks, such as play dead and shake hands. I still use clicker training to keep reinforcing “Come, Woody”!

 

Woody loves to play with little kids, but I still remember that day in the park with Andrew. I would never want a parent to fear for their child that Woody would hurt them, and with clicker training and the reliable recall, I keep Woody a safe distance away.

 

Diane Andrews
Dog lover and clicker training fan

Halloween Safety for Dogs and Cats

Trick-or-treating and wearing costumes is fun for children, but this holiday is not so much fun for dogs and cats. Although your pet may be very social, when a person in costume comes to the door, your pet may become scared or over-excited. Even pets that love children can react unexpectedly when there are so many children ringing your doorbell, yelling “Trick or treat!” and looking unfamiliar in strange costumes. Some animals will run away, some may bolt out the door, and others may become aggressive or start barking furiously. The clicker training you’ve worked on with your pet will help him stay calm. Use the clicker to make your pet sit, stay, come, quiet, or even to lead him to his safe place.

In the excitement to find their favorite treats in their bag, kids will drop candy or leave it lying around. And kids love to share their treats with their pets. But chocolate can be toxic for dogs and cats. Use clicker training to teach your dog or cat to “leave it” so you can stop him from eating candy if he starts to pick it up.

Keep your pets inside. It’s unfortunate but true that for some people, doing tricks to dogs and cats is “fun” on Halloween. This is one reason it’s so important to clicker train your pet to “stay” so that they don’t run out the door while you’re handing out candy. Even better, put your pet in their safe place, away from the door and the excitement.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) provides a list of Halloween safety tips. They remind pet owners to be careful of electric cords for lighted decorations – dogs love to chew – and lighted pumpkin candles that can easily singe your curious pet or be knocked over and start a fire. The ASPCA also suggests putting costumes on your pets may be very cute or funny, but can overly stress your pet. And, as always, “make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he or she will be returned to you.”

Clicker training your dog and cat is not just about basic behaviors and clever tricks. Clicker training builds trust and respect between you and your pet, and in special times, such as Halloween, you show them your love by protecting them from potential stress and safety issues. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Clicker Training Your Pet Rabbit

Rabbits are wonderful house pets. Loving, quiet, and easy to take care of, rabbits also learn quickly. They can learn to do anything they’re physically capable of doing…all you need is a clicker and some patience. Clicker training a rabbit is in some ways like clicker training a dog. But there are differences between rabbits and dogs in how they view their environment and how they learn that will affect the early clicker training sessions.

Veteran rabbit trainers Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin are strong supporters of clicker training for rabbits. They suggest that rabbits need to feel comfortable and safe in their environment, so give them time to adjust. “Rabbits are a prey species and this makes them very different from predators such as dogs and cats.” If your rabbit is afraid of being outside of her cage, help her become familiar with clicker training while she’s in the cage.

Start by loading the clicker and getting your rabbit accustomed to the click and treat method of training. When you click, instead of putting a treat in your hand, put it on the ground in front of her. Rabbits prefer eating off the ground. They may refuse to eat food placed away from their regular eating area, and it will take some time – possibly a few training sessions – to accept food in the new area. Over time, you can train her to eat from your hand. Because rabbits are small, they eat less, so keep treats to a few tiny bites and keep training sessions very short. Treats can include rabbit pellets or tiny pieces of vegetables.

When the rabbit learns to associate a click with getting a treat, you can begin to train her in basic obedience skills and she can be litter box trained. She can learn to sit, come, stay, fetch, and hop into your lap. You can also break bad bunny habits such as biting and chewing on furniture with clicker training. Your rabbit can even learn to do special tricks like hopping over and around obstacles, standing on hind legs, and tossing or carrying a ball.



Andrea Bratt Frick and Jean Silva of B.U.N.S. in California have had great success with the clicker and their shelter rabbits. “We have been using the clicker to get all our bunnies to come to the front of their condos to appear friendly to help them become more adoptable. Also, we have taught them little tricks such as ‘give me ten’ so that the bunnies, who were fearful at first, would now interact with potential adoptees.” Rabbits have a natural fear of being picked up – this is how animals or birds capture rabbits for their meal – so you can help your rabbit become more comfortable with handling through clicker training.

Rabbits can be very affectionate and expressive. With time and patience, you will learn what makes your rabbit happy, and through clicker training you can build a bond of trust with your favorite bunny.

If you need a supply of clickers, The Clicker Company has you covered. Visit The Clicker Company website at www.clickercompany.com to purchase your supply of clickers for rabbit training.

Clicker Training Your Cats

Cats have developed a reputation of being self-sufficient and independent. You might assume that makes them difficult to train. But the reality is that using a positive reinforcement training method - clicker training – works very well with cats.

Patience is absolutely essential when clicker training your cat. If you’ve clicker trained a dog, you were probably very happy with how quickly your dog learned the behavior or trick. Most dogs are eager to please their owner and will work hard to learn new skills.

But with cats, it may take a little longer to get and keep their attention. Be sure to take all the time necessary to practice “loading” the clicker, i.e. making your cat familiar with the click-treat pattern. Keep cat clicker training sessions very short, no more than five minutes, and be sure to practice every day.

You can teach your cat to do basic obedience skills, use the litter box, and do a variety of tricks, such as shake and high five as demonstrated by CatChannel.com.



Cats have been successfully taught to run obstacle courses and agility courses. In the International Cat Agility Tournaments (ICAT) competition, “cats negotiate an agility course designed to display their speed, coordination, beauty of movement, physical condition, intelligence, training, and the quality and depth of their relationship with their owner who trains with them and guides them through the course.”

Of course, everyone knows that cats have mastered training their owners. TV star Morris the Cat’s owner tried to entertain Morris with a wind-up mouse on the floor, only to have Morris chide, “Great – play with it outside.” But all cat lovers secretly love being trained to cater to their cats. With clicker training, cats might just enjoy performing for their owners.

Can a 10-Year-Old Boy Learn to Train a New Puppy With a Clicker?

Q. Our 10-year-old son has been begging us for a puppy. We've decided he is responsible enough to take care of a puppy and want to give him one for his birthday. Ideally, we’d like him to be involved in training the puppy too. I've heard about clicker training and I like the idea of the positive reinforcement method. Is my son old enough to learn how to use a clicker? What should we do to help him learn how to use it? Where can we go to learn?

A. Your son is the perfect age to have a puppy, to learn the responsibility of taking care of the puppy, and to train the puppy with the clicker. Clicker training is a wonderful way for children to build a strong bond with their puppy.

The trick to successful clicker training is the timing of the click and treat. Before you get the puppy, purchase a clicker and have your son practice using the clicker with you. Once you and your son are comfortable with the methods for timing the click and treat, then you’re ready to get the puppy.

Training Tips:
(1) First, teach the puppy to respond to the click and treat – called “loading” the clicker. Click the clicker, give a treat. When the puppy recognizes that the clicker sounds means getting treats, then he is ready for basic obedience training: sit, come, lie down, stay, loose leash walking. The same click and treat technique can be used later on to teach your puppy tricks and games.
(2) Remember that clicker training should only be positive and fun – never scold the puppy for doing something wrong during clicker training.
(3) Use tasty treats in tiny bits so you don’t overfeed your puppy. You can give him a portion of his meal as treats, then give him the rest of the food at mealtime.
(4) Practice for 3-5 minutes once or twice a day until the puppy learns the behavior. Too much practice can become boring for both the puppy and your son. You’ll be surprised how much your puppy will learn in just a couple of weeks.

Your puppy will love clicker training, your son will be proud of his ability to train his puppy, and you’ll be happy to have a well behaved puppy in the house. Have fun!

Preparing Your Dog for the New Baby

You’re expecting your first baby – how wonderful! There are so many things to start thinking about and planning for, including preparing your dog for all the changes that will occur when you bring the baby home. The best time to start training your pet for this new lifestyle is today. Using the positive reinforcement clicker training method will reinforce the strong positive bond between you and your dog and make the transition much happier for you and your dog.

Obedience Training
This is the time to make sure your dog has been obedience trained to respond to your commands: sit, stay, come, down. Clicker training is one of the most successful methods for obedience training, and once you’ve mastered the simple clicker technique, you’ll be able to teach your dog to do these basic commands. Once you’ve fine-tuned these skills, you can clicker train your dog to walk with a leash.

Crate Training
Make sure your dog has a safe place to go, a place just for him when he needs to get away from all the baby activity or for you to put him when he needs to be out of the activity for a few hours. Clicker train your dog to go to the crate, where his bed, food, water, and toys are kept, and he’ll be much happier when you need him to stay there for a while.

Behavior Training
With all the attention shifted to the new baby and all the new smells and noises, your dog may feel threatened or overwhelmed. As early as possible, start clicker training to address issues such as barking, growling, and other aggressive behaviors; and chewing, jumping up on people or furniture, and other destructive behaviors.

Environment Training
All the noise and commotion may make your dog skittish, aggressive, or withdrawn. You can help him learn to stay calm by introducing him to similar environments. Clicker train your dog to lie down and be calm when children approach her. Take your dog to visit friends with young children and clicker train him to learn to stay calm with all the strange noises and smells. Introduce these for short periods and increase the time as he becomes more comfortable.

You’ll find a number of blog posts on this site with information about clicker training techniques and tips. Clicker train your dog early, reinforce the training often, and make him feel loved and important. You’ll be able to enjoy this exciting time of your life with your new baby and your happy, well behaved dog.

911 Dog Hero

She may be retired now, but Red was one of the four-legged heroes in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.

Red was among hundreds of other dogs who worked in New York and Washington, D.C. after the attacks, according to the video below from Reuters. She searched through the rubble at the Pentagon in 12-hour shifts in the hot sun, helping to recover dozens of bodies over several weeks.

Now 12-years-old and retired, the Labrador occasionally tags along on search missions. She "still has the same love of the search," according to the video report.

Her trainer, Heather Roche, said "I never thought she would be a successful search dog," she told Reuters. But no matter what I asked her to do ... she did it every single time and she did it perfectly," Roche added.

There are organizations that work to train dogs, such as the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation,which helps train dogs mostly from shelter s to save human lives during disaster.

Listen carefully towards the end of the video...hear the Clicker?

Thank you to Red and Heather!

The Clicker Company

Dog Vs Sheep Clicker Trick Showdown

LOVE this great show of clicker training with different animals!

How a Clicker Trainer Changed My Dogs Life

While flying home from vacation recently, I engaged in conversation with a young woman sitting next to me, Jennifer. In the course of conversation, I learned Jennifer had a five year old basset hound, Waldo. She described Waldo as a sweet, lovable dog who enjoyed hour after hour of lounging in the yard, watching people walk by. But Waldo wasn’t always so easy with people.

As a puppy, Jennifer used clicker training to teach Waldo basic obedience skills. She was so excited about how quickly Waldo learned to obey simple commands and how easily she paper trained. But Waldo was so afraid of people that any time someone came to the house, or even walked past the house outside, Waldo ran and hid. “Taking Waldo for a walk was not fun. If someone came toward us, Waldo was on a leash and couldn’t run away, so he started barking and growling. It was so strange to see my sweet puppy become so scary.”

At her wit’s end, Jennifer called a dog trainer who assured her that fear of people is not uncommon and Waldo could be trained to relax around people. The trainer explained that teaching Waldo to associate something especially positive with people may help Waldo change his reactions. To do this, the trainer suggested using the clicker since Waldo was already familiar with and enjoyed this method.

Jennifer began clicker training Waldo to sit when he saw people, and she rewarded him with a click and his favorite treats. She was told to limit Waldo’s time around people initially, so she started training him in the house and yard with a friend for two weeks. When Waldo was ready to be around more people, she started taking him for walks, and eventually to the park. It took about three months of clicker training before Waldo would let people come up to him, but the training paid off.

A clicker trainer gives a dog positive reinforcement when he behaves correctly. This training method allowed Waldo to associate people with something special. “I can’t believe what a different dog Waldo is around people now. We couldn’t have fun at the park or even just going for walks. That clicker really changed Waldo’s life!”

Clicker Training Can Help Your Dog Stay Calm in Loud Summer Storms

Dogs have heightened senses, so summer storms with thunder and lightning can be scary for dogs, especially those that are sensitive to loud noises. They may start panting and drooling, barking, peeing on the floor, or even becoming destructive while trying to run away and hide. You can manage your dog’s fear of loud noises with clicker training.

It is totally natural for your dog to seek your reassurance during a thunderstorm when he starts panicking. But surprisingly, what seems “natural” can be the wrong thing to do. Cuddling and comforting your dog reinforces the dog’s fear by confirming that the loud noise is something to be afraid of. A better approach is to remain calm, speak to him gently, and lead him to his special place where he can relax and feel safe.

If you have previously used the clicker for obedience training, then your dog can be clicker trained to go to a special, safe place to relax – a special rug, a mat, or some other area. You want him to go to this safe place when he’s scared so he can calm down.

A little advance planning is needed. During quiet times before storms, use the clicker training method to train your dog to identify the special spot as a relaxing, safe place. Start by conditioning the area: put one of his favorite treats there, and when the dog approaches the area and bends down to eat, click and praise him. Continue this for a few minutes every day for several days.

Your dog will likely start sitting or lying down when he goes to the area and is rewarded with treats. If not, clicker train him to sit or lie down here. Every time he goes to the area and sits or lies down, click and treat. Continue this clicker training for a few weeks so he will be totally conditioned and able to respond correctly to your command even in a noisy thunderstorm.

By using a calm voice and training your dog to be relaxed in his special, safe place, you teach him that a thunderstorm is no big deal and he’ll be just fine.

Frisbee Fun for You and Your Dog With Clicker Training

Teaching your puppy or dog to play Frisbee is a fun game and wonderful bonding activity for you and your pet. There are lots of videos showing dogs doing all kinds of tricks with a Frisbee, but how did they learn to do them?

One of the best ways to train your dog to enjoy playing Frisbee is with clicker training. If you have used a clicker for obedience training, you can use the same skills to clicker train your dog to catch a Frisbee. Before you start, be aware that dogs should be at least 12-14 months old before they are physically mature enough to jump and catch mid-air without possible injury. Frisbees made especially for dogs are best; they should have rounded, soft edges and be light enough to catch.

1. Start by sitting on the floor with your dog and rolling the Frisbee. Tell your dog to “catch” and when he catches it, click and treat.


2. To train him to return it to you, basic fetching skills are required. Roll the Frisbee on the ground, tell your dog to “fetch,” and encourage him to return to you. When he comes back with the Frisbee, click and treat. This may take a few days, so be patient.


3. When your dog has learned to fetch and return it to you, try using a second Frisbee to roll immediately after he brings the first one back to speed up the game. Click and treat after each returned Frisbee.

Now it’s time to start throwing the Frisbee in the air. Always throw the Frisbee away from the dog so he will not get hit in the face and become afraid of the Frisbee.

1. Throw the Frisbee just a short distance in the air and tell the dog to “fetch” or “catch.” When he catches the Frisbee, click and treat.


2. Give your dog a chance to become proficient in fetching the Frisbee thrown a short distance before throwing it farther. Every time he catches the Frisbee and brings it back, click and treat.


3. You can also clicker train your dog to drop the Frisbee when he returns it to you. Tell him to drop it, then click and treat.

Remember that clicker training is positive reinforcement. Never reprimand your dog for not doing what you ask; just keep working with him until he finally understands what you want. It may take your dog several weeks to get this all figured out, so give him time, lots of encouragement and praise, and you’ll both learn to love playing Frisbee. And once your dog learns the Frisbee basics, you can start working on all those cool tricks!

Teach an Old Dog New Tricks – With a Clicker!

Whether you have adopted an older dog that needs some behavior modification, or you just want to teach your adult dog some new tricks, rest assured that mature dogs can be clicker trained. Just as people continue learning throughout their lives, so do dogs.

Video: Teaching an Old Dog

Clicker trainers suggest that older dogs may be a little slower in learning what clicker training is all about. An adopted dog may need to unlearn old behaviors as he is learning your new desired behaviors. And older dogs have developed interests, such as sniffing the ground or chasing other animals, that may distract them from clicker training. So just have a little patience as your dog tries to figure out what you want and becomes familiar with the click-and-treat method. The more skills and tricks he learns with the clicker method, the faster he’ll be able to learn.

Adopted dogs need to know basic obedience skills to have a harmonious relationship with their new owner. If your older dog has not learned sit, come, stay, down, and heel, you can teach him with clicker training. However, he may have had negative training experiences and will not want to pay attention to you. To get your dog’s attention, watch the dog and pay total attention to him until he looks at you. Click and treat. Repeat this several times, and your dog will be ready to focus on you and clicker training.

Retraining an older dog can be challenging, because they are not only having to learn what not to do, but also learn what you want them to do. With time and patience, you can successfully retrain your dog by clicker training. Instead of reprimanding him for behaviors he has learned in the past, use positive reinforcement clicker training to teach desired behaviors. For example, if your dog wants to jump on your bed to sleep at night and you want him to sleep in his own bed, do not reprimand him for jumping on your bed. Instead, lead him to his bed and tell him “down” and “stay.” When he does, click and treat. Each time he comes to your bed, calmly lead him to his bed and tell him “down” and “stay.” Repeat the click-and-treat training as many times as necessary until your dog understands he’ll be rewarded for staying in his bed but he won’t be rewarded for jumping on yours.

Be consistent and confident, stay positive, have patience, and above all, have fun training your older dog new skills and activities. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

Health and Well-Being Benefits of Clicker Training

Make your dog a healthy, happy, contented dog with clicker training. Hundreds of thousands of trainers and dog owners use clicker training to teach their dogs acceptable behaviors, obedience, and tricks. Through this positive reinforcement method, your dog will enjoy the training experience and will learn to trust you. Here are some of the ways to gain the health and well-being advantages that clicker training can bring:

• Dog owners who use clicker training report that their training helps forge a strong bond with their dogs. Less anxiety means happier dogs and happier owners!


• Good obedience behaviors, developed using clickers, can help protect dogs by teaching them how to act in various situations. For example, teaching a dog to stay on the sidewalk and out of the street can help assure the dog will not stray into traffic or chase vehicles and be harmed.


• Clicker training never involves punishing your dog or hurting his neck with a control collar, so your dog will not associate training and behaviors with fear. That means less physical pain or other harm to the dog while also reducing anxiety.


• Separation anxiety can result in dogs acting out, howling, or destroying property. Advanced clicker training techniques can strengthen the bond of trust and respect so that the dog can look forward to the owner’s return ... and maybe a treat as well!


• When dogs learn tricks, they engage in more coordinated physical exercise. Tricks such as “bowing,” “begging,” or “rolling over” can improve a dog’s flexibility and stamina.


• Good behavior during walks means more walks, more exericse, and more fun for dog and owner both. Clickers can make the training easy and successful.

Dog discipline need not be about hitting and shouting any more. Clicker training helps a dog become a happier, healthier member of the family!

Involve the Kids! Clicker Training Fun for the Whole Family

Clicker training is fun and easy to learn for the every member of the family, including kids. Clicker training doesn't require physical force or control, so kids can train even a big dog. By the time children reach the age of 6 or 7 and have developed good hand/eye coordination and a sense of timing, they can master the command-click-reward timing. Younger children can help deliver the treats and rewards.

 

Parents, you should do the initial clicker training with the dog. Wait until your dog has learned that a click means a reward is coming before allowing your child to use the clicker. Spend a few minutes several days a week working with your child and dog to teach your child how to use the clicker properly. Help your child start with simple commands such as “Come,” “Sit,” and “Lie Down.”

 

 

When your child and dog have mastered these, let your child try training your dog to do some fun tricks like shake a paw and chase his tail.

 

Clicker training helps kids become more confident in handling dogs and teaches kids to not tug or yell at dogs, which could cause a dangerous reaction from the dog. It’s important that kids learn to give only positive reinforcement; the dog is to be rewarded for doing the right thing, not to be punished for making a mistake.

 

When your whole family is involved in clicker training, your dog will take commands from anyone in the family. Teaching your kids how to clicker train your dog will help to build a loving relationship and bond of trust between your child and your dog.

 

Timing Is Everything – The Trick to Timing the Click

Before you use a clicker to train your pet, you need to learn how to time your clicks. A clicker makes a sound that marks the behavior you want to reward. When clicker training your pet, you should have your thumb poised and ready to click. If you click too soon or too late, you may inadvertently mark the wrong behavior. To become more proficient at clicking, practice until you become totally confident with your clicker technique.

Here are some suggestions for practicing how to precisely synchronize your clicking to specific events:

• Stand outside near a street or parking lot and click every time a car reaches a certain landmark.
• Throw a ball in the air and click when it reaches a predetermined point, such as the highest point, a piece of furniture, or the floor. The noise of the ball touching something and the sound of the clicker should be simultaneous.
• Watch a TV show and click every time you hear a certain word (e.g., a person’s name or the word “doctor” in a medical show) or see people perform a certain action (e.g., wave or sit down).
• Work with a partner. The partner can help by throwing a ball at different speeds and distances to give you a variety of training experiences, and can observe and critique your clicker timing.

Make sure you practice your clicker skills far from your pet’s hearing. Otherwise, when your pet hears the clicker and doesn’t get a treat, he won’t learn to associate the click with a behavior. Practice until you’re confident in your mechanical skills in using the clicker and you’ve perfected your clicker timing. Now you’re ready to introduce your pet to the clicker!

Clicker Training Your Pet Pig, Turkey and Llama?

Clicker training for dogs is a widely accepted and popular method for training with positive reinforcement. Puppies can be obedience trained with a clicker, and many people use the clicker training method to teach their dogs to do tricks, play games, and perform special emergency mission jobs such as finding survivors in a disaster scene.

The use of clicker training began with dolphins to do tricks, like the dolphins at SeaWorld. But did you know there are people who have used clickers to train turkeys, birds, llamas, fish, rabbits and pigs?

A veterinarian clicker trained a two year old parrot that would only allow one person to hold her to trust other people. The parrot bit everyone else to the point of drawing blood. Through clicker training with millet as the treat, the parrot learned to trust the touch by another owner. Another person clicker trained a pet turkey in just five minutes to fly to a target wherever the target was put, in and out of the cage.

Llamas have been clicker trained to carry packs and ring bells, and on obstacle courses. Pigs are very smart and have been easily trained to sit and do tricks like pushing a ball with their nose and maneuvering through obstacle courses. Pet rabbits have been clicker trained to hop over jumps, run through tunnels, and to feel safe when being lifted and held. Imagine the tricks you can teach your pet — with clicker training!

$100 WINNER

Congratulations to:
PATTY L CRICHTON
winner of our $100 'Like' us on Facebook Drawing!!!

Patty is the owner of Northwoods Dog Training located in Petosky, MI.

You can visit their website at:

http://www.northwoodsdogtraining.com/

"Northern Michigan's Premier puppy and dog trainer"

Clicker Training Prepares Your Dog for a Great Summer Vacation With You

Planning a family vacation but not sure if your dog is ready? Even if you have trained your dog at home in four of the basic obedience skills – come, sit, stay, down – he may not react the same to your commands in strange places or with distractions. You’ll want to practice clicker training these important behaviors in other locations: in the yard, on the sidewalk along a busy street, in a car, in a noisy park, and in pet-friendly restaurants and stores. Clicker training in new environments will help your dog feel more confident in unfamiliar situations.

To keep your dog safe in strange places, use clicker training to teach him to come when called. If he is unleashed and gets confused in a new environment, he could freak out and start running away, possibly into dangerous areas. You’ll also want to use clicker training to teach your dog to settle in his bed or crate, so he’ll be comfortable in a restaurant, your cabin, or grandma’s house. And grandma will enjoy having him!

If this is your dog’s first vacation away from home, or if your dog has just recently learned the basic behaviors with clicker training, plan to continue clicker training while you’re gone. Be sure to pack clickers and a treat bag with a good supply of clicker training treats. Prepare your dog in advance with clicker training so everyone can have a fun and safe vacation.

Four-month-old Puppy Learns to Sit In Just Five Minutes With Clicker Training

It seems like everywhere I go, I hear stories about how people use clickers to train their dogs! I was in a card store yesterday looking for a graduation card, and Nicki, the clerk who was helping me, mentioned she has a dog. When I asked if she has ever heard of clicker training, she said a friend had given her a clicker for training her new puppy, Tess, and she had just started using it. She wanted to clicker train her four-month-old puppy to sit.

When Nicki first started telling the puppy to sit, the puppy just looked at her as if saying, “What does that mean”? But Nicki kept giving the command “Sit,” and after a few times the puppy finally sat. Nicki immediately clicked the clicker and gave the puppy a treat. Nicki practiced clicker training the puppy a few more times, and the puppy obeyed every time. In just five minutes of clicker training, her puppy recognized the command to sit, eventually even without the clicker.

“I love the clicker! I can’t believe how easy it was to clicker train my puppy to sit,” Nicki exclaimed. “I plan to use clicker training for other commands. I really like how clicker training is a positive reinforcement for my puppy to learn. And Tess thinks the clicker is fun!”

Bake Fresh Homemade Dog Biscuits to Use as Your Clicker Training Treat Reward

Looking for a yummy treat that will make clicker training your dog easy and fun? Try baking your clicker training treats! Here’s a popular recipe reprinted with permission from Dog Treat Recipes, a website with lots of recipes for healthy, tasty dog treats and food perfect for clicker training treats.

 

Super Easy Peanut Butter Dog Treat
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (smooth only, please)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oatmeal

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking or pizza pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and oatmeal. Then add the peanut butter and milk. Stir it together until a dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead and roll out to a 1/4″ thick. Break out your cute bone-shaped cookie cutters or a pizza cutter and cut the dough into the desired sizes and shapes.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Once cool, let your favorite pup enjoy before storing them in an airtight jar (or resealable freezer bag).
• These treats will last a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To keep longer, freeze.

The right clicker training treats for your dog are an important part of successful clicker training techniques. It is important to remember that treats need to be broken into very small, pea-sized pieces for clicker training to keep your dog's calorie count in line.

What treats have you found to work especially well for clicker training your dog? Please click on “comments” below this article to share your dog clicker training suggestions and recipes.

The Right Clicker Training Treats Are Crucial to Dog Clicker Training Success

Now that you have the dog training clicker, you need to determine what treats you’re going to give your dog that will make him want to respond to clicker training. Many clicker training experts suggest the dog treats found in grocery stores may not be special enough for your dog to stay focused on a new or difficult task; they recommend “human” food as the healthiest, tastiest treat for your dog. Cheese, hot dogs, chicken, steak—what special treats does your dog love? Be sure to cut them up in tiny pieces and give them only as clicker training treats for the best results.

You may be asking yourself:

Q. How do I keep my dog from getting fat with all the clicker training treats?
A. Be sure to cut up the food into tiny morsels – the size of a pea or smaller. One trainer cuts a hot dog into 80 pieces. Consider the treats part of your dog’s regular meals and reduce the food given at meal times by the amount used during clicker training.

Q. What if my dog doesn’t respond to food treats for clicker training?
A. Some dogs just don’t respond as well to food rewards. Maybe your dog loves certain toys, playing ball, or getting pats from you. As you get to know what your dog likes, you’ll find the best combination of treats or rewards for clicker training.

Q. Will I have to give my dog treats the rest of his life just to get him to obey?
A. If you keep the food hidden from your dog until you’re ready to reward him and use a variety of rewards, your dog won’t expect food every time he obeys. For long-term clicker training success, use both food and non-food treats so your dog learns that the reward can come in different forms.

Make sure you have plenty of clicker training treats on hand wherever you go with your dog. Order Treat Totes from The Clicker Company.

Clicker Training Fun for Boy and His Cat

I recently heard about a young boy who clicker trained his cat to sit for treats. Chessie was just a kitten, and the boy thought it would be fun teach his cat a trick. He got some of her favorite treat, liver, and cut it into bite-sized morsels.

When the kitten was begging for food, the boy told the kitten to sit. Chessie wasn’t sure what the boy wanted, so she tried lots of movements. After the boy repeated “Sit” several times, Chessie finally sat with her bottom on the floor and her front paws up. Perfect. The boy clicked the clicker and gave Chessie a yummy morsel of liver.

Chessie wanted more! The boy commanded “Sit” again, and as Chessie sat up, he clicked the clicker and gave her another treat. The boy continued the clicker training, and as soon as Chessie heard “Sit,” she knew exactly what to do: she sat up and got a treat. The clicker training worked.

Over the next few years, Chessie remembered the clicker training. Sometimes she sat up in the middle of the living room in front of the boy, waiting to get her treat. No clicker needed. The boy knew exactly what she wanted and told her to wait a minute. He went to the cupboard and got her a treat. Chessie never forgot the clicker training she received as a kitten.

Want to learn how to clicker train your cat? Watch the following video of a veterinarian explaining “Clicker Training Your Cat.” She reminds that cats have a short attention span, so it’s best to end the clicker training session while it’s still fun.

A Clicker Trained Puppy Is a Happy Puppy

Puppies love to chew, bite, bark – things that come naturally to them. But these behaviors are not acceptable in your home. Like children, dogs need to know their boundaries. Start clicker training soon after you bring the puppy home to encourage your puppy to develop desirable behaviors and to curb negative ones.

To use the clicker successfully, you’ll need to teach your puppy to associate the clicker sound with a treat. The first step is to click once and give him a treat. No need to over-feed him – just give him one small piece of his regular food and adjust the amount you feed him at meal time.

By starting clicker training with your puppy as soon as you bring him home, your puppy will learn the clicker training technique and will want to perform the behaviors you desire. As he learns to recognize the sound of the clickers, you can start clicker training to house train, heel, sit, stand, stay, and come when called. Later, you’ll be able to teach him games and tricks. One of the keys to successful clicker training is learning when to click. You must click at the exact moment your puppy performs the desired behavior.

Your puppy wants your praise and approval. Help your puppy live happily in your home and give him the best start in life by starting the clicker training technique early.

Survival, Loyalty Keep Dogs Alive After Tsunami

Normally when you hear stories about dogs at disaster scenes, the dogs are specially trained for search and rescue. These dogs have been obedience trained, using techniques such as clicker training, and then trained in search skills to find survivors under the rubble. But three weeks after the tsunami struck Japan, three amazing dogs became the survivors, reminding us just how strong man’s best friend can be in the face of tragedy.

Ban, a two-year old mixed breed dog, was reunited with her owner after floating for three weeks in the Pacific Ocean a mile off shore on the roof of a house that was swept out to sea in the tsunami. A Japanese Coast Guard helicopter flying over the debris discovered the dog and rescued her. The dog’s owner saw a video of the rescue on Japanese TV and hurried to claim her pet at the animal shelter. “I want to cherish her when I take her back,” said the owner, as Ban wagged her tail and licked her owner’s face.



Another story warmed the hearts of beleaguered Japanese rescuers. An exhausted and muddied dog remained loyal to his canine friend, injured in the tsunami, and stayed by his side until rescuers arrived. The brown and white spaniel-cross dog led a cameraman to the place where the injured dog was lying in the debris. Both were taken to shelters to be treated. How the dogs survived without fresh water and food for such an extended time is unknown, but all three are expected to heal and live full lives.



Several disaster search dog teams were deployed to Japan. Disaster search dog trainers start with basic obedience training, such as clicker training. With clicker training, dogs learn to generalize the training (PDF) and respond correctly even in unfamiliar areas, such as the tsunami-devastated areas of Japan.

When Clickers Speak, Dogs and Dolphins Listen

Three dolphins swim in almost perfect synchrony around the circle, and at the exact same moment, all three jump through hoops. Amazing! How were they trained to do that? With clicker training!

Clicker training communicates the behavior you want to reinforce by using an event marker: the clicker. The training method works with dolphins; it works with dogs. (It can even work with kids!)

Your dog performs the desired behavior (the "event"), you click (the "marker") and you immediately reward your dog with a special treat, such as food, a toy, or a ball. In this way, the dog learns to associate the treat with the good behavior. The timing of the click is very important; clicking at the instant the dog does the requested behavior and giving him a treat helps your dog learn the association much more quickly and avoids a lot of frustration.

The dog training clicker creates a distinctive metallic sound. Voice commands are less precise and can weaken the association, and may not be as successful. The point of clicker training is to use a sound so distinct that it always sounds the same, will not be heard in any other situation, and will not confuse the dog.

Clicker training can speed up the progress of obedience training and shorten the time needed to teach your dog new tricks. Train your dog by using positive reinforcement and gentle handling - with a clicker.